Method and machine for making catheters



Nov. 13, 19 45. .3, JECKEL 2,388,693

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING CATHETERS Filed April 29, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .67 50 fil] 60 60 I mu HI w Mllllllll! Z2 I l I" I I u I W I I I I I v I lllll l c' 1 20 m r I a; {80 I N VEN TOR.

BY/V'arman 6 lac/(e! Nov. 13, 1945. N. c. JECKEL METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING 'CATHE'I'ERS s Sheets-Sheet Filed April 29, 1944 Patented Nov. 13, 1945 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING CATHETERS Norman C. .Ieckel, Glens Falls, N. Y., assignor to United States Catheter & Instrument Corp., a

corporation of New York Application April 29, 1944, Serial No. 533,280

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to the braiding art and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for braiding improved, tubular and tapered products, such as may be used for catheters and bougies and for similar surgical purposes, as well as for other purposes where it is desired that a braided tubular body shall have a tapered closed end capable of being subjected to considerable endwise pressure without undue distortion while at the same time the body of the tube is characterized by a'uniformity of weave and is free from any tendency to collapse when subjected to endwise tension.

This application is in part a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 429,603, filed February 4; 1942, now Patent No. 2,354,212, granted July 25, 1944. As disclosed in said application, I have devised a method and apparatus for braiding tubing with tapered portions wherein the mesh of the braided material is uniformly tight throughout both the portions of uniform diameter and the tapered portions and without resorting to methods involving the use of a tapered core or mandrel or the substitution of threads of difierent'diameter when braiding from a larger diameter to a smaller, or vice versa.

The present invention .has for an object a special application of the principles of the braiding method of the aforesaid application whereby it is possible to produce rapidly and in a continuous manner catheter tubes and similar tubular and tapered products which have a reinforced and stiffened tapered portion which, when the product is intended for use in forming catheters,

serves as the proximal or probing tip portion of the catheter when it is put to its intended use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine by which the method of my invention may be practiced.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a braiding process which will produce an improved braided tubular and tapered product having hollow, cylindrical and tapered portions partly without the braiding circle.

of braiding relation to the threads that continue to participate in the braiding operation. The withheld threads are maintained eitherentirely within the braiding circle or partly within and In this way those withheld threads that are disposed within the braiding circle may form a solid core rein forcing the braided product at the point of smallest diameter which serves as the tip of the catheter when the braided product is severed into suitable lengths for use as catheter tubes. Advantageouslmthe process is carried out as a continuous operation and with theproduction of a continuous length of braided tubing made up of alternate cylindrical and taperedportions; When the process is so conducted, the braiding of the tubing back to the desired larger cylindrical diameter following a reducing taperingoperation will be effected by returning the withheld threads, in step-like order, into thev braiding operation. In this way ataper-or portion flaring in the opposite direction as compared with the reducing taper is formed until the former cylindrical size of tubing is reached, or, if desired, the operation may be stopped when a cylindrical size of intermediate diameter is attained. The braiding is then continued with the same number of threads until the desired cylindrical length is obtained and then the cycle is repeated.

A form of machine suitable for carrying out the method of my invention may comprise a base structure defining intersecting paths along which a plurality of bobbin carriers are adapted to travel. The machine may be provided with any suitable power driven means to drive the bobbin carriers alon the paths to perform the braiding operation. Adjacent the paths of travel I provide stationary supporting means for the bobbin carriers when the threads supported thereby are to be withheld from the braiding operation. The bobbin carriers are provided with foot members which are maintained in the base structure for continuous travel along the paths provided therefor and the bobbin carriers are removablefrom the foot members and may be placed on the stationary supporting means when it is desired to withhold the threads carried by them from the braiding operation. The foot members, however, may be formed as parts of the driving means or they may comprise separate elements adapted to -me upon the base plate and be guided therealong by slots in the base plate or in slots defined by guides secured to the base plate. 7

Thus, when it is desired to produce a taper in the tubular product being braided, the bobbin carriers are selectively withdrawn in step-like order from the foot members and held stationary on the stationary supporting means without, however, severing the thread carried thereby. As the tubular product is gradually withdrawn by a draw spool or equivalent means, not shown, as the braiding proceeds, the thread tensioning means ofthexbobbin carriers cooperate. therewith in maintaining under tension all of the threads that are still participating in the braiding operation as well as those that have been withdrawn therefrom. In this way a tight and uniform mesh is insured.

It will be understood that my method of braiding tubular products having tapered'portions is not to be limited to the manufacture of catheter tubes, the catheter tube product being selected for the purposes of illustrating. my invention. Besides catheter tubes, the tubing, tapered in accordance with my invention, may be used for many other purposes.

For a further understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is. a plan view of a braiding machine by which my method of braiding. may be performed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevational. view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is. a perspective view of the braiding machine illustrating the manner by which the taper is effected in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical. longitudinal sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the braided product of my invention with the. unbraided threads, maintained inside: the. tapered and smaller cylindrical portion, forming. a. core for the latter;

Fig. 5 shows. a portion of the tubular product before it is cut into short lengths;

Fig. 6 shows a larger view of. a portion of. one of the lengths according. to a modification of the invention after it has been cut and before the external unbraided threads have been trimmed;

Fig. 7 shows the. tubular product of Fig. 6 with the unbraided threads trimmed; and

Fig. 8 shows the trimmed product coated with a suitable lacquer and partly broken away to show the disposition. of the core threads.

Referringv to. Figs. 1 to 3. of the drawings, a machine is illustrated according to my invention and by which the method. of my invention may be performed- The machine comprises a. frame or base plate 20 upon-which is mounted a platen 22 having a pair of complementary sinuous grooves 24. and 25, constituting endless sinusoidal paths disposed about a common axis. Supported in. these grooves. are a plurality of foot members 26 each of which has a depending element 28- adapted to be engaged by lugs 31 carried by gears 32 or other suitable driving means disposed below the platen.

Each foot member releasably supports a bobbin carrier 30 which inturn serves to support a bobbin 52 in position to feed thread. therefrom through suitable thread. guides and thread tensioning means. The detailsof construction of the foot members, the mechanism for driving them and the bobbin carriers are no part of my present invention and will not be described in detail- For a fuller disclosure of this mechanism reference is. made to my Patent No. 2,354,212 granted July 25, 1944.

When all of the bobbin. carriers are. disposed for movement along the sinusoidal paths of the machine, the threads supported thereby are interwoven into the desired braid which, with the number of threads illustrated, will produce a tubular braided article of a desired diameter. When it is desired to taper the braided tube I withdraw a number of the bobbin carriers from the foot members thereof and place them on stationary supports. When. the threads withheld from the braiding operationare to maintained inside the tubing to form a core, the bobbin carriers therefor are placed on supports located inside said sinusoidal paths. If desired, a part of the threads withheld from the braiding operation may be maintained outside of the tubing, in which case the bobbin carriers therefor are placed on-external supports located outside said sinusoidal paths;

The internal supports are shown in the drawings as comprising portions of a central octagonal plate 80, mounted inside the sinuous grooves 24 and 25, and having openings. 8| therethrough to receive the. bobbin carrier 30 after ithas beenremoved from the foot member 26. They may, however, comprise. a continuation of the inner portions of the platen, or may be in. the form of. an annular or other suitably shaped member or members. disposed adj acentv the platen.

The supporting. plate is illustrated. as low ered with respect to the plane of the braiding platen 2.2. so as to increase. the clearance of the withheld. threads when the bobbin carriers are removed from the platen'and held onthe internal supports. In Figs. 1 and 2,, two of the bobbin carriers. are shown to have been withdrawn from their corresponding foot members and passed inwardlyand placed upon diametrically disposed portions of the. central support 80. As the braiding progresses, additional bobbin carriers are. withdrawn from their foot members in step-like order and. placedupon other portions of the central stationary support. The withdrawal of the bobbin carriers may be singly or in pairs or in a larger number, depending on the degree of taper desired. The remaining bobbins continue to. weave-inand out. to produce a tight braid.

The external supports 60 are shown in the drawings to comprise. a plurality of platforms each having five apertures GI and are supported on the platen 22. They may, however, comprise a continuation of the platen or may be in the form of annular or other suitably shaped. members disposed adjacent the platen.

The supports Iii) as illustrated are. elevated so asv to. increase. the clearance of the externally withheld threads when. the bobbin. carriers are removed from the platen and positioned on the supports 60.

In some instances as for regulating the size of. the core, it may be desirable to place certain of the bobbin carriers for the threads withdrawn from the braiding. operation on the internal supportingysurfacesof the plate 80, the: others on the. external supports 60 This may be done in any desired, number and sequence, but alternate supportsand symmetrical withdrawal procedure.

is preferred- By way of example a. pair of oppositely positioned carriers, designated by the reference numeral 30a, are shown in dotted lines as transposed to positionson the outside supports 60..

After the desired number of bobbins have been removed from braiding positions, the braiding operation. may be. continued. to. produce either a small cylindrical portionv or a cord-like. portion 1.0 between the tapered portions 12. When a deing proceeds by means of a draw spool or other conventional means not shown.

This method of producing a tubular product of cylindrical and tapered portions is particularly desirable for continuous production of alternate, hollow cylindrical and tapered portions for use in the manufacture of catheter tubes. Such a continuous tubing is shown in Fig. 5. The cutting of the product for catheter tubes may take place along lines A-A and B--B, that is to say, the cylindrical portions 14 are cut at their midportions and the tapered portionslZ are cut at their smallest or mid-sections l0.

Such tubing, may have its unbraided threads entirely on the inside, or partly on the inside and partly on the outside, with respect to the tube being braided, depending upon whether the removed bobbin carriers are placed on the internal support 0 or partly also on the external supports 66. The form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 has all of its unbraided threads on the inside.

Each section i5 thus severed, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, is trimmed of any external unbraided threads 16 but the form shown in Figs.

4 and 5 requires no trimming, because the threads.

removed from the braiding operation to form the taper are maintained inside the tapered portion and form a solid core tightly embraced by the smaller cylindrical or cord portion. These sections 15 are coated inside and out as at 16 with a suitable lacquer or varnish to give them a desired smooth flexible surface coating. As shown in Fig. 8 an eye opening TI is formed in the hollow portion of the tube adjacent the core reinforced tip.

From the foregoing it will be clear that I have invented a new method for braiding tubular products having tapered portions and in which product the mesh is substantially the same throughout the larger and smaller portions thereof, that the product is strong and tightly braided, and that it is capable of resisting longitudinal tension with a minimum of stretching; and when coated with asuitable lacquer provides a smooth flexible tubing.

It will also be apparent that the new method forms a core of parallel threads each under the same tension. This core remains in the catheter and has the purpose of closing the tube, eliminating necessity for plugging the end or sealing it on by some other method. It also enables the braiding first of a hollow tube and then by transferring a certain number of threads from the braid to the center of the machine to form a solid rod consisting of a stranded core with a braided outside wall. It is a method of automatically changing from a hollow tubular braid to a tubular braid having a solid core.

While I have shown and described my method in connection with production of tubes of cylindrical and tapered portions and but one machine by which the method may be performed, it is recognized that many changes and variations in the steps of the method and the means by which the method may be performed, as well as the different shapes of the product produced, are possible without departing from my invention. It will also be apparent that various changes may be made in the machine disclosed without departing from the scope of the invention in so far as it embodies an improvement in a machine. It is, therefore, to be understood that thepresent disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative of the invention only and not in restriction of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a braided catheter tube characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided weave of the threads throughout the product, comprising braiding a plurality of threads to form a cylindrical tube portion, withholding in step-like order some of the threads from entering into the braiding operation by maintaining certain of said threads inside the tube until the product is tapered from the hollow cylindrical size to substantially cord size, then returning the withheld threads in steplike order from inside the tube into the braiding operation, thereby forming a tapered portion from cord size to the former cylindrical size, maintaining all of said threads constantly under substantially the same tension throughout the entire operation, cutting the product at the midsections of the tubular portion and at the cord sections, and coating the cut lengths of the tubular and tapered portion with lacquer.

2. The method of making a braided catheter tube characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided weave throughout the length thereof, which comprises braiding a plurality of threads to form a cylindrical tube portion, withholding in step-like order some of the threads from entering into the braiding operation bymaintaining certain of said threads inside the tube being formed until the product is tapered from the hollow cylindrical size to a substantially solid cordsize, and throughout the braiding operation maintaining all of the threads under a substantially constant tension, and thereafter cutting the product to the desired length.

3. The method of making a braided tubular product characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided Weave throughout the length thereof which comprises braiding a plurality of threads sufiicient in number to form a tube, and thereafter changing in steplike order the number of threads entering into the braiding operation by maintaining inside the tube the threads which do not enter into the braiding operation and thereby varying the diameter of the product, and throughout the braiding operation maintaining under tension all of the threads that are currently participating or have previously participated in the braiding operation, and thereafter cutting the product to the desired length.

4. In a machine for braiding tubular products wherein bobbin carriers are moved along intersecting sinusoidal paths about the central axis to efiect braiding operations and th resulting braided tubular product is withdrawn as the braiding proceeds in a path parallel to and adjacent said central axis, said machine including means defining said intersecting paths, bobbin carriers movable along said paths, and thread tensioning means associated with said carriers for maintaining under tension the threads of the bobbins carried thereby; the improvementwhich consists in means for supporting a plurality of bobbin carriers in stationary position within said sinusoidal paths so that threads carried by bobbins removed from said paths and positioned on said supporting means will be Withheld from the braiding operation and maintained within the tubular product being braided and under tension so long as they remain on said supporting. means, and will: re-enter said braiding operation if and when said removable. bobbins are returned to said sinusoidal paths.

5, Th method of making a braided catheter tube characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided weave of the threads throughout the product, comprising braiding a plurality of threads to form a cylindrical tube portion, withholding in step-like order some of the threads from entering into th braiding operation by maintaining certain of said threads inside the tube and others thereof outside the tube until the product is tapered from the hollow cylindrical size to substantially cord size, then returning the withheld threads in step-like order into the braiding operation, thereby forming a tapered portion from cord size to the former cylindrical size, maintaining all of said threads constantly under substantially the same tension throughout the entire operation, cutting the product at the mid-sections of the tubular portion and at the cord sections, trimming the unbraided. portions of the threads which were withheld outside the tube and coating the cut lengths of the tubular and tapered portions with lacquer.

6. The method of making a braided catheter tube characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided weave throughout the length thereof, which comprises braiding a plurality of threads to form a cylindrical tube portion, withholding in step-like order some of the threads from entering into the braiding operation by maintaining certain of said threads inside the tube and others thereof outside the tube until the product is tapered from the hollow cylindrical size to a substantially solid cord size, and throughout the braiding operation maintaining all of the threads under a substantially constant tension, and thereafter cutting the product to the desired length and trimming the unbraided portions of the threads which were withheld outside the tube.

7. The method of making a braided tubular product characterized by a substantially uniformly tight and closely braided weave throughout the length thereof which comprises braiding a plurality of threads suflicient in number to form a tube, and thereafter changing in step-like order the number of threads entering into the braiding operation by maintaining the threads which do not enter the braid-ing operation some inside and some outside. the tube and thereby varying the diameter of the product, and throughout the braiding operation, maintaining under tension all of the threads that are currently participating or have previously participated in the braiding operation, and thereafter cutting the product to the. desired length and trimming the unbraided portions of the threads outside the tube which have not entered into the braiding operation.

8. In a machine for braiding tubular products wherein bobbin carriers are moved along intersecting. sinusoidal paths about the central axis to effect braiding operations and the resulting braided tubular product is withdrawn as the braiding proceeds in a path parallel to and adjacent said central axis, said machine including means defining said intersecting paths, bobbin carriers movable along said paths, and thread tensioning means associated with said carriers for maintaining under tension the threads of the bobbins carried thereby; the improvement which consists in means for supporting a plurality of bobbin carriers in stationary position within said sinusoidal paths so that threads carried by bobbins removed from said paths to said supporting means will. be withheld from the braiding operation and maintained within the tubular product being braided and under tension, and a second means for supporting a plurality of bobbin carriers in stationary position located outside said sinusoidal paths so that threads carried by bobbins removed from said paths to said second supporting means will be withheld from the braiding operation and maintained outside the product and under tension.

9. The method of making a braided product comprising braiding a plurality of threads to form a cylindrical tube portion, withholding in steplike order some of the threads from entering into the braiding operation by maintaining the withheld threads inside the tube until the product is tapered from the hollow cylindrical size to substantially cord size tightly embracing the withheld threads inside thereof, then returning the Withheld threads in step-like order into the braiding operation, thereby forming a tapered portion from cord size to the former cylindrical size, and cutting the product at the mid-sections of the tubular portion and at the cord sections.

NORMAN C. JECKEL. 

